Tooth templates for bracket positioning and other uses

Abstract

Templates are disclosed that permit an orthodontist to accurately place appliances such as bracket shims or brackets on a tooth or teeth at a desired position. The templates can be used for accurately locating the position of other dental or orthodontic procedures, such as varnishing, tooth etching and root canals. The templates are made from a flexible sheet of material adapted to be adhered directly to the surface of the tooth or teeth. The sheet of material is formed with the outline of the tooth or teeth or in the shape of the tooth to allow the template to be posited in a proper, reference position. The sheet of material is also formed with one or more marks indicating the location of the bracket on the tooth, for example one mark indicting the bracket base location and other marks indicating the orientation of the base and bracket slot. The mark indicating the bracket base is punched out or otherwise removed from the sheet to provide a void in the template, enabling the user to directly bond the bracket to the tooth at the location of the void.

1. A method of making an orthodontic template for use in assisting a user in placing an appliance on a tooth, comprising the steps of:
 creating a design of an orthodontic template through treatment planning using a computer containing a three-dimensional virtual model of the teeth of a patient and the location of virtual appliances on said three-dimensional virtual model; 
 generating said orthodontic template from a flexible sheet of material using said design of said orthodontic template; said template indicating the outline of said teeth; and 
 sizing and shaping said flexible sheet of material so as to be able to be placed onto at least one tooth or a model of least one tooth of a set of teeth of said patient, said sheet of material having one or more marks indicating the location and orientation of where said appliance is to be placed on said at least one tooth or said model of at least one tooth; 
 said sheet of material having a tooth-facing surface adapted for positioning on the surface of said tooth in a reference position wherein said one or more marks accurately indicate the proper location for said appliance. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible sheet of material having said mark comprises a printed sheet of material, wherein one surface of said printed sheet of material comprises an adhesive material. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible sheet of material is sized and shaped so as to fit over a single tooth of said patient or a model of said single tooth. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible sheet of material is sized and shaped so as to fit over a set of two or more teeth in an upper or lower arch of the patient, or a model of said two or more teeth, and wherein said sheet of material comprises a plurality of marks, one mark for each tooth in said set of two or more teeth to be fitted with an appliance. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said appliance comprises a bracket and said mark comprises a first portion comprising a bracket base location indicating mark and a second portion comprising a bracket base angular orientation indicating mark. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said appliance is selected from the group of appliances comprising bracket shims and orthodontic brackets, and wherein said orthodontic template is generated by a printer coupled to said computer containing said three-dimensional virtual model of the teeth of said patient and the location of virtual brackets on said three-dimensional model. 
   
   
     7. A method of making an orthodontic template for use in assisting a user in placing an appliance on a tooth, comprising the steps of:
 creating a design of an orthodontic template through treatment planning using a computer containing a three-dimensional virtual model of the teeth of a patient and the location of virtual appliances on said three-dimensional virtual model; 
 generating said orthodontic template from a flexible sheet of material using said design of said orthodontic template; said template indicating the outline of said teeth; and 
 sizing and shaping said flexible sheet of material so as to be able to be placed onto at least one tooth or a model of said at least one tooth of a set of teeth of a patient, said sheet of material having a void at the location and orientation of where said appliance is to be placed on said at least one tooth or said model of said at least one tooth; 
 said sheet of material having a tooth-facing surface adapted to be placed on a surface of said tooth in a reference position wherein said void accurately indicates the proper location for said appliance. 
 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said flexible sheet of material comprises a printed sheet of material, wherein one surface of said printed sheet of material comprises an adhesive material. 
   
   
     9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said flexible sheet of material is sized and shaped so as to fit over a single tooth of said patient. 
   
   
     10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said flexible sheet of material is sized and shaped so as to fit over a set of two or more teeth in an upper or lower arch of the patient, or a model of said two or more teeth, and wherein said sheet of material comprises a plurality of voids, one void for each tooth in said set of two or more teeth to be fitted with said appliance. 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said appliance comprises a bracket and wherein said void is placed at a position where a bracket base is to be located and wherein said template further comprises a bracket base angular orientation indicating mark. 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said orthodontic template is generated by a printer coupled to said computer containing said three-dimensional model of the teeth of said patient and the location of virtual brackets on said three-dimensional model. 
   
   
     13. A method of making an orthodontic template for use in assisting a user in placing an appliance on a tooth, said appliance selected from the group consisting of bracket shims and brackets, comprising the steps of:
 creating a design of an orthodontic template through treatment planning using a computer containing a three-dimensional virtual model of the teeth of a patient and the location of virtual appliances on said three-dimensional virtual model; 
 generating said orthodontic template from a flexible sheet of material using said design of said orthodontic template; said template indicating the outline of said teeth; and 
 sizing and shaping said flexible sheet of material sized and shaped so as to be able to be placed onto at least one tooth of a set of teeth of said patient or a model of at least one tooth of said set of teeth, said sheet of material having a tooth surface facing side and an opposite side, said first, tooth surface facing side incorporating one ore more mark indicating elements positioned at the location and orientation of where said appliance is to be placed on said at least one tooth or said model; 
 wherein, after said flexible sheet of material is placed onto said at least one tooth, said one or more mark indicating elements are activated so as to impart a perceptible mark onto the surface of said at least one tooth or said model to indicate the proper location for said appliance. 
 
   
   
     14. A method for placing a bracket on a tooth, comprising the steps of:
 a) generating a template for positioning a bracket on a tooth, said template comprising a flexible sheet of material and one or more marks indicating the position and orientation of a bracket base on the tooth in an ideal bracket placement position; 
 b) removing at least a portion of said one or more marks so as to form a void in said template at the location of the bracket base; 
 c) applying the template to the surface of the tooth; 
 d) placing a bracket on the tooth at the location of said void; 
 e) bonding said bracket to said tooth; and 
 f) removing said template. 
 
   
   
     15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of applying a composition to the surface of said tooth after step c), said composition selected from the group of compositions comprising varnish, acid, and sealants. 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein said template is in the form of an elongate strip of flexible material containing a plurality of marks for indicating the location of a plurality of ideal bracket locations on said set of teeth. 
   
   
     17. A method for applying a treatment to a tooth, comprising the steps of:
 a) generating a template for said tooth using a computer containing a three-dimensional virtual model of the teeth of the patient and the location of where said treatment is to be performed on said tooth, said template comprising a flexible sheet of material and a void in said template indicating the location of where said treatment is to be performed on said tooth; 
 b) temporarily adhering the template to the surface of the tooth; 
 c) performing the treatment on the tooth in the location of said void; and 
 d) removing said template. 
 
   
   
     18. A method of making a template for use in applying a treatment to a tooth, comprising
 creating a design of an orthodontic template through treatment planning using a computer containing a three-dimensional virtual model of the teeth of a patient and the location of where said treatment is to be performed on said at least one tooth; 
 generating said orthodontic template from a flexible sheet of material using said design of said orthodontic template; said template indicating the outline of said teeth; and 
 sizing and shaping said flexible sheet of material so as to be placeable onto at least one tooth of a set of teeth of a patient, said sheet of material having a void at the location and orientation of where a treatment is to occur on said at least one tooth; 
 said sheet of material having a tooth-facing surface adapted to be adhered to a surface of said tooth in a reference position wherein said void accurately indicates the location of where said treatment is to occur. 
 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein said template is generated by a printing process. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 14 , wherein said template is generated by a printing process. 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said template is generated by a printing process. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7 , wherein said orthodontic template comprises a second sheet of material having a bracket applied thereto and wherein said second sheet of material further comprises alignment marks for aligning said second sheet of material to said alignment marks on said sheet of material to thereby align said bracket. 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7 , wherein said orthodontic template comprises a second sheet of material having a bracket applied thereto and wherein said second sheet of material further comprises alignment marks for aligning said second sheet of material to said alignment marks on said sheet of material to thereby align said bracket, wherein said second sheet of material is sized and shaped to fit on said at least one tooth and wherein said second sheet of material comprises a void, wherein said bracket is placed in said void. 
   
   
     24. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7 , wherein said sheet of material further comprises a perforation facilitating removal of said sheet of material from said at least one tooth. 
   
   
     25. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7 , wherein said template is manufactured after placement of a bracket on a tooth and the determination of bracket position is determined by a scanning of the patient's dentition. 
   
   
     26. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7 , wherein said sheet of material comprises a transparent sheet of material. 
   
   
     27. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7  wherein said sheet of material further comprises bracket slot alignment marks. 
   
   
     28. The method of  claim 1  or  claim 7  wherein a first portion of said sheet of material is transparent and wherein a second portion of said sheet of material is opaque. 
   
   
     29. The method of  claim 18 , wherein said treatment is selected from the group of treatments consisting of root canal, localization of root chamber, varnishing, etching, crowns, bridges, and treatment of cavities. 
   
   
     30. The method of  claim 14 , wherein step b) is performed by a laser and wherein the method further comprises the step of etching the tooth in the location of said void. 
   
   
     31. A method for making a bracket placement jig for bonding a bracket to a tooth using a tooth template, comprising the steps of:
 a) generating a template for positioning a bracket on a tooth, said template comprising a flexible sheet of material and one or more marks indicating the position and orientation of a bracket base on the tooth in an ideal bracket placement position; 
 b) forming a void in said template at the location of the bracket base; 
 c) applying the template to the surface of a model of the tooth; 
 d) placing a bracket on the tooth at the location of said void; 
 e) temporarily bonding said bracket to said model; and 
 f) fabricating a bracket placement jig over said bracket bonded to said model.